Black Cats manager Jack Ross says his team are getting stronger all the time after their 2-0 victory at Shrewsbury Town

ByStuart Rayner

07:00, 22 OCT 2018

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Jack Ross (Image: James Wilson/ Epic Action Imagery)Jack Ross says Sunderland are “getting stronger all the time” after their third straight win, at Shrewsbury Town, but the best is yet to come.

If the Black Cats can follow up Saturday’s 2-0 victory with a win at Doncaster Rovers on Tuesday, it will be their longest winning run of the season so far. They have gone six games in all competitions without defeat.

In third place and with a game in hand on Peterborough United, one point ahead, it feels like they might be finding some momentum.“We’re getting stronger all the time,” Ross commented. “We’ve spoken about players coming in and how they’ve performed. Bits of our game are getting better.

“Shrewsbury wasn’t my most enjoyable game as a manager but it was a really good win because of all the characteristics we’ve shown. I don’t want to hide behind it being a period of transition and a work in progress because we’re in the meat of the season and the group are showing that now. They’re ready to cope with the challenges.”Shrewsbury had the better of the first half, and hit the bar from a Shaun Whalley free-kick. But substitutes Lynden Gooch and Luke O’Nien – who scored the goals – and George Honeyman turned the game in their favour.“I’ve never sensed a lack of belief in what we’re doing,” said Ross. “I’ve had to keep reminding them as a group that they’re good if they keep doing the basics right.“We had a couple of little points earlier in the season where we didn’t do that but we’re showing we can and it’s now mixing the bits together. That progression towards some really top performances is coming. I think we’re showing bits in every game that the players are building momentum towards a run of performances that will keep us producing results like we did on Saturday.[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

“It’s all right having the players in your squad but you also need them to make contributions,” he added.“Leaving Lynden and George out was hard for me but the front four that had played in the last few games had played well. It’s all well and good having the squad because I’ve seen other clubs have it but you need them playing well. The great thing on Saturday was that the lads who came off the bench played well. It makes it harder but it’s good for us.“The game’s changed. It is squads that win you leagues and I speak about it a lot but you need the evidence to back it up. It wasn’t just the players who came on and made an obvious contribution towards winning the games, but the guys who came off the pitch still made a contribution because they helped us get to 0-0 after 55 minutes away from home.“The reaction (from players left out of the XI) has always been good and it goes back to the communication with them to make sure we keep them abreast of where they’re at.

“George, Lynden and Luke, I never had any doubts about any of them because they’re all terrific professionals. We’ve got a lot of them in the squad and that’s healthy as well.”Gooch was a key player in Sunderland’s start to the season, often employed at wing-back. On his return after four games out through injury he served a reminder of what an important figure he is.

“I think Lynden’s ability means he can play in either of those positions (at wing-back or further forward, as he did on Saturday) and he can play centrally, at times, as well.

“His ability to go at players directly is huge in this league, he can go either side and he brings an energy out of possession too, which is just as important.“You saw that immediately when he came on, when he pressured the defender and won a throw-in high up the pitch.“I would never pigeonhole him into one position as he has the capability to play in those different roles that he has shown already this season.”